Weekend Wines of the 19/20th October

[Mahmoud Ali]

A big evening Saturday night for which I suffered somewhat on Sunday, though it did not prevent me from getting up early to watch both rugby quaterfinals that I recorded. Here is the photographic evidence.

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2014 Andreas Bender Risling Brut (12.5%)
2011 Chateau Doisy-Daene Bordeaux Blanc (13%)
2003 Peter Howland 'Maxwell Vineyard' Chardonnay, Hunter Valley (14.5%)
2015 Scarpetta 'Frico' Bianco, Fruili (12.5%)
2006 Braida 'il Baciale', Monferrato Rosso (14%)
2015 Ravoire 'Le Port' Bandol (15%)
2005 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas, Beiras, Portugal (13%)
1996 Antinori Guado al Tasso 'Tenuta Belvedere', Bolgheri (13%)
1991 Rozes Vintage Port (20.5%)
2006 De Bortoli 'Noble One' Botrytis Semillon, NSW, Australia (10%)

The sparkling riesling had small, persistent beading but plenty of mousse on the palate. It was fresh, fruity, and lively, a nice aperitif wine. The Doisy-Daene had a profoundly aromatic, rich bouquet - hints of white peach, and a rich palate and good acidity. Nobody at the table guessed Bordeaux let alone that it was made entirely of Sauvignon Blanc (according to the friend who broght it) Instead we opted for southern Italian and Portuguese. Startling different, also my first dry white from a Sauterne producer. The Peter Howland was clearly an older wine and also had an aromatic rich nose, however the emphasis being on lanolin and oak, as well as a fat if slightly hot palate. Everybody guessed the varietal but not Australia, let alone Hunter Valley. It went well with the fish. The Scarpetta was young and fresh, a bit on the lighter side, and should have been the first white of the evening.

The Braida was a bit feral and ripe and a bit of a disappointment from a producer supposedly the "King of Barbera". A glass a day and a half later was a bit better since the feral bit had diminished and it was quite herbal and savoury with a nice bitter edge. The Bandol was a modern expression of mourvedre and is easily accessable even at this young age. It had a fruity gloss and I expect it is one for short to medium cellaring. Personally I would want a bit more depth and intensity. I don't have a strong memory of the Pato Vinhas Velhas but I reckon this is because it was still rather young and closed which is to be expected for a baga wine. The Guado al Tasso was not as advanced as I expected it to be considering it was not from a particularly good vintage. It was balanced and poised, quite elegant and drinking well, and got better as it aired, showing that vintage aside it is again the producer that counts.

The Rozes port was decanted about five hours before and showed well in an understated way, the alcohol having blown off leaving a fruity, medium-bodied wine of some delicacy. No danger of falling off and in a good place. The Noble One is a blur but having had it before I know it is a rich, fat, honeyed expression, a little low in acidity and doesn't seem to me to be one for the long haul.

Cheers .................... Mahmoud.

[Ian S]

I do like the wines of Luis Pato, and although there are finer wines in the range, I do like the value in the white/red vinhas velhas wines. His sparkling Baga is a wonderfully eclectic wine to try if you ever get the chance. Not an obvious choice of grape for a sparklng wine!

Braida's wines are certainly fully priced on his name/reputation. I do like the biggies (ai Suma, Bricco della Bigotta etc.) even though in time I've found less beefed up Barbera wines that offer different (but just as much) enjoyment for a lot less money. I've always wondered what this wine would be like, as the lower alcohol (the others are up at 16% from memory) should mean a very different wine / experience.

I'm not sure many could pick a Hunter chardonnay in a blind tasting, not even on these pages!

[Mahmoud Ali]

Hi Ian,

Regarding the Pato stable, the sparklings are very nice and I've had two of them, the one made from Maria Gomes and the pale rosé from Baga. I've got some white Vinha Velhas that I am cellaring for the short term (2016) and a couple of 2003 Vinha Pan and Barrosa for the long haul.

I've not had any of Braida's other wines and am reluctant to spend that much on a Barbera when there are other perfectly good ones. I was surprised by the forwardness of the 'il Bacciale' because I have some other barberas that I have tried and cellared and feel no hurry to broach them, from producers like Fantino, La Spinetta, and Conterno.

Regarding picking out a Hunter chardonnay, I agree it would be difficult, especially so since there aren't many of them in the market over here. I've only ever seen two, this old Howland (which I believe is no longer made) and the Vat 47 by Tyrrells. Hmm, come to think of it, I wonder who owns the Maxwell vineyard and where does the fruit go now.

Mahmoud.

PS: I just remembered that some time back I cellared a rather big-boned barbera made with some apassimento grapes to see how it would turn out. I'm afraid I've left it too long because it is a 1997 and to complicate things I really don't know where it is, somewhere in a box at the bottom I suspect.

[sjw_11]

I wasn't familiar with Braida... Barbera is one of my favourite "quaffing" varieties so my interest is piqued.

I can get the Braida Monferrato Rosso Il Bacialé 2016 for €13.90 - doesn't seem badly priced for the entry level but I see the Ai Suma is around €61 and they have a Bricco dell'Uccellone which is €50 both of which look pretty punchy for Babera d'Asti. I guess I will give one a try at some point to see.

[JamieBahrain]

They can outperform Barolo at 25 years as can Voerzio . Seen this many times especially with the 1990 Ai Suma. I put on a vertical which Rafaela ( Giacomos daughter ) attended in Hong Kong and she was chuffed I had a stash of 1990 as her father passed that year from memory .

Their basic barberas can be found very cheap in Europe .

[Mahmoud Ali]

I wasn't familiar with Braida... Barbera is one of my favourite "quaffing" varieties so my interest is piqued.

Giacomo Bologno of Braida was a pioneer in raising the profile of barbera, once a humble quaffing wine of Piedmont with little or no respect as a fine wine. He wanted to elevate the lowly barbera and experimented with aging it in smaller barriques as opposed to the traditional large barrels. People of the area, the elders of the trade and his contemporaries, thought he was mad and throwing away good money on expensive barriques. However he turned out a fantastic Bricco dell’Uccellone that earned accolades and this changed the way barbera was viewed and the renaissance of barbera started.

I haven't had the Bricco dell’Uccellone nor the 'Ai Suma' which apparently means "I've done it!" in reference to Bologno's quest to make the best barbera. Back when I first came across the top end Braida wines, and it was a long time ago, the wine store had them in boxes and pamphlets and wanted north of €70 even then - it was overpriced and I gave it a miss.

Mahmoud.

PS: If I recall correctly the late Giacomo Bologno was famous for driving a Vespa around town.

[JamieBahrain]

Going beyond the Braida website, the advent of modern Barbera is a yarn as well told with variation as the Barolo wars . Plenty of info online for those interested .

braida.it

Easy appointment to get and always seems busy .

[Mahmoud Ali]

Just for the record, what I posted was from memory, much of it from what I researched back when I first saw the expensive Braidas and wanted to know what it was about.